


Maka's Surprise

by Alchemeister



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 08:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alchemeister/pseuds/Alchemeister
Summary: Soul's birthday is right around the corner, and Maka has been working her butt off for the perfect gift.  Maybe it will lead to something more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was for the fanzine "5 Years Later", put together by the fabulous chaoticlivi! I am honored to be beside many great works in print and hope you enjoy my contribution!

_ One more day.  That’s it. Then I’m home free. _

Maka changed into her uniform and stared into the mirror, revving herself up.   _ You can do this.  You’re Maka Albarn!  You helped defeat the Kishin!  This is trivial. _

The smell of roasted coffee beans filled her lungs.  She could hear the murmur of customers just outside the door.  She sensed at least three souls were by the register, but didn’t bother checking the rest of Deathbucks.

She adjusted her hair, pulling it into a single ponytail, having ditched the pigtails a couple of years ago.  She had grown since the Battle on the Moon. She might not have a full chest like her friends, but she wasn’t flat either.  She was now closer to Soul in height. Not the same, but tall enough to stare at his mouth.

One final look in the mirror reflected her green eyes furrowed in determination.  A curt nod to herself and she was off.

“Hello there!  Welcome to Deathbucks!  What can I get you today?”

“Would you like a dessert with your espresso?”

“So one hot green tea, two mochas, and water.  Anything else I can get you?”

Afternoons were always surprisingly full, but that was because of the DWMA schedule.  Students liked to relax in the popular coffee shop after a day full of combat lessons.  Maka didn’t mind, as long as no one told  _ him _ .  Soul didn’t enjoy the café as much, only coming along when Maka dragged him for a study group.  When 5:30 rolled around, Maka could take a breather.

“I’m definitely not going to miss the rushes…” Maka muttered.  She brought over the last of the dirty dishes from tables, taking a seat at the counter.

“They’re most of the business,” Master replied while cleaning a glass.  “Would you prefer a constant line?”

Maka picked up the extra rag and stood up.  “Then I would need to start downing the espresso shots.”  She went around and wiped the tables, her heart slightly aching that she would be leaving Deathbucks.

“So did you save enough?”  Master was cleaning the equipment, filling the silence with small talk.  Maka had finished tidying up the shop and stood by the register now. 

“I was able to buy them this morning!”  Maka beamed.

“Buy what Maks?  More books to bury yourself in?”  A familiar voice carried through the door and Maka flinched.   _ Why?  I was so close!! _

She tried to crouch behind the counter, but the damage was done.  Black Star was dragging the gang inside.

“What’re you doing here Maka?” Liz’s voice rang out.  She and Patti nodded at Master, him returning a curt nod.

Maka groaned.  “This was supposed to be a secret!”  She rubbed her temples as she rose. “I work here.  Well, kinda. Today’s my last day.”

Her friends gave quizzical looks in response.  The shop phone rang and Master left to answer it.  “Why did you need a job?” Kid asked first.

Maka made a sharp intake of breath.  She looked down at her feet and stared, stalling before coming to a decision.  “I’ll tell you, but you all have to promise not to tell anyone. Otherwise I’ll Maka Chop you all into oblivion.”  Her eyes were hard, daring any of them to break the promise.

“I promise,” they all spoke in unison. 

Maka pursed her lips.  “Tsubaki, make doubly sure that Black Star doesn’t open his big fat mouth about this.”  She made her friend pinky promise on it, even though they were legally adults.

“Hey!  I can keep a secret!”  Black Star crossed his arms in indignation.

“Can you keep it from Soul?”  Maka cocked a brow.

Black Star’s mouth formed an ‘O’.  He quickly responded with a “hell yeah!”

Maka sighed.  “As you guys know, his birthday is in a few days.  I’ve been saving up money for his gift, which I was able to order this morning.”

“What did you get him?”  Tsubaki asked politely. 

“Two tickets to the jazz festival here in Death City next week.  He's mentioned wanting to go a few times. It’s the first time in over five years that the city is doing it.”

“Why did you need to start working though?  Certainly the allowance the DWMA provides would have covered the cost,” Kid considered the scythe meister carefully. 

“I didn't want to use our shared funds for Soul's gift!  Plus, he would've noticed if there was a sudden plummet in our finances.”

“But didn't he notice when you wouldn't go home with him after classes?”  Liz mused. “He's not that oblivious is he?”

“He thinks I've been studying.  Which isn't a lie, I study in between rushes…” Maka shrugged. 

“Impressive, even for you Maks.”  Black Star clapped his hand on her shoulder, but she didn't budge.  Being the same height, the action wasn’t as intimidating as it used to be.

“When are you going to give them to him?” Liz cut across.  She had a glint in her eye, watching the meister carefully.

Maka stared back, unsure of what to make with the weapon’s smirking gaze.  “I was thinking tonight or tomorrow, since the event is so soon. I don’t want him making other plans.”

Master returned, surveying the café.  “I don't think we’ll get anymore customers tonight, why don’t you go home early?”

Before Maka could protest in the slightest, Master was walking away, ignoring her.

“Well then, do you want to go out to dinner with us?” Tsubaki offered.

“Thanks, but I can’t.  I still need to pick up a birthday card.  Rain check?” Maka took off her hat and untied her hair.  

“You better tell us all about it tomorrow!”  Liz led the group back out. With a last glance, she winked at Maka.

 

* * *

 

“Soul, I’m home!”  The smell of spaghetti sauce wafted through the door.  As she walked into the apartment, she noticed two pots on the stove.  The kitchen was otherwise empty.

Maka fell into one of the dining room chairs.  She noticed that Blair didn’t jump onto her lap like usual.   _ She’s not home, perfect! _  Maka proceeded to empty her bag, careful to keep the gift under her books.

Eventually Soul walked out of his bedroom, headphones covering his ears.  He had stopped using gel on a regular basis around the same time Maka switched to having her hair down.  Stubble covered his jawline, making him look closer to twenty-five than twenty. Maka could see his broad shoulders with ease since he was wearing a tank.  Maka rolled her eyes and stood up. When she tapped his shoulder, he jumped. “What the hell! When did you get home?” His eyes betrayed him, joy shining in them.

Before Maka spoke, she pushed back his headphones.  “Just now. I grabbed the mail on the way up, seeing you hadn’t.”  
“Oh, I knew I forgot something…” he shrugged.  “Well, dinner should be ready in a few.”

Maka went to work clearing her mess, sticking the card in her back pocket. _  After dinner, that should be good.  Just slide it across the table... _  Soon, food was dished out and the pair were silently eating.  “Thanks again for cooking, I know it was my turn tonight.” Maka grabbed both of their plates and started cleaning up.

Soul shrugged.  “I know how busy you’ve been.”  From the sink she heard the ripping of paper, then a small gasp.  “Woah!” Soul breathed.

“What’s up?”  Maka turned around with soapy hands.  Soul was holding a card, pulling out a pair of tickets.

“Wes sent my birthday present early.  It’s tickets to the jazz festival coming next week!”  

Maka’s face fell slightly.  “T-that’s great!”  _ Great!  What am I going to do now?! _

“Yeah, they’re only a few rows from the stage too…  Is there something wrong?” Soul caught Maka’s slightly panicked stare.

“No!  I just remembered something is all!”  Maka spun to face the sink again. She started scrubbing furiously, like it was the pan’s fault for this mess.  Without giving him a chance to get the truth out of her, Maka rushed to her bedroom after finishing up.

She turned the card over in her hands.   _ What could I get him now?  That was all my spending money!  And it was final sale. _  Maka groaned.  Rubbing her temples, she thought of Liz’s smug look earlier.   _ That’s it, I’ll ask for Liz’s advice, she should know about concert tickets. _  Even with her plan, Maka stayed up staring at her ceiling for an hour, cursing Soul’s brother.

 

* * *

 

“So, how’d it go?”  Liz asked the next day at lunch, desperate for details.  The group was sitting at their usual table in the cafeteria.  It was closest to the windows overlooking the city, the sun laughing at their existence.  Saving the world and on the verge of graduating had its perks.

Quickly, Maka used her finger to draw a line across her throat.  Luckily, Soul was in mid-conversation with Black Star on the finer points of Call of Duty and didn’t notice.  The girls slid to the other side of the table. In hushed tones, Maka explained the problem.

“What do I do now?!”  She rested her forehead on the table, letting the girls brainstorm above her.

“I’m sure someone would want to buy your tickets if that’s what you want to do.  Lots of people resell them. The question is, what’s the next best thing?”

Before Maka could even fathom the question, the boys dragged them back into group conversation.  “Yo, Patti! Kid here says you’re a boss at COD!” Black Star called down the table.

Kid muttered something to the effect, “not exactly,” while Patti burst out “Hell Yeah!  Wanna try and take me on?” Her eyes were taunting.

“You’re on!  I will beat you into a pulp!”  The two started trash talking. Kid tried to regulate them a little, but gave up after Patti called Black Star a “whiny ninja loser with no balls”.

“Liz, you know that jazz festival we’ve been talking about?”  Soul spoke across Maka. “Well, my brother gave me tickets for my birthday and I was wondering if you’d be interested?”

Maka’s heart skipped a beat.  She watched Liz’s eyes widen, but didn’t turn to see Soul’s face.  All she knew was that she muttered something about the bathroom and promptly escaped.

_ Of course he’d want to take her, I have no clue about music!  Why did I think otherwise? _

When she reached the balcony, the meister scolded herself.   _ Pull yourself together!  You’re braver than this! Now he knows something’s up! _  She could feel the heat in her face rising.  She pulled herself up to sit on the half wall.  The sun laughed at her pain with its hearty guffaws.  She took out the card again, playing with the corners of the envelope.  She was half tempted to chuck it into the city below out of frustration.

“Maka?”  His voice called from behind her.  She stiffened slightly, unsure how this was going to play out.  She heard footsteps approach her perch. Soul rested his elbows on the half wall, laying his head on his arms.  He stared out into the city, taking in the view.

The pair remained silent, letting the sun warm their skin.  They could hear their peers heading to their next class, discussing missions and remedial lessons.  Maka continued to fiddle with the gift, considering her next move.

Without warning, she thrust the envelope into Soul’s face.  Her fingers grazed his cheek, the paper tapping his nose. “I meant to give this to you last night, but, well, um, here it is.”  Her eyes were downcast, unsure of where to land.

Soul followed his meister’s lead and heaved himself onto the half wall, back towards the city.  He slid his finger under the flap and tore the envelope open. The card inside was simple, a birthday cake and balloons obviously hand drawn.  Maka was watching closely now, waiting for any kind of reaction. Before he could read the message inside, the tickets to the Jazz festival slipped out onto his lap.  

Soul’s eyes lit up before realization hit.  To Maka’s surprise, he started chuckling. The chortle quickly transformed into a howl, then back into a snicker.  “What’s so funny!?” Maka’s brows furrowed, eyeing the weapon indignantly.

Catching his breath, Soul apologized.  “This is why you haven’t been home? Damn, I thought you were seeing someone.  How’d you do it?”

Maka relaxed, letting his smile warm her soul.  She shrugged before saying, “I got a job at Deathbucks.”

“You’re amazing, you know that right?”  He was examining the tickets, as if they were made of gold.  “You and Wes know me too well…”

It was like a brick to the face.  Maka immediately deflated. “So I guess you and Liz will enjoy the festival…”

“What- oh.”  Soul considered his partner, taking her in.  She was looking out into the city again, avoiding his eyes.  Suddenly, Soul wrapped his arms around her. Maka stiffened in shock before melting into his grasp.  She could smell his shampoo, a musky wood of some kind. “I assumed, sorry ‘bout that,” he whispered into her ear.  “I really need to stop making an ass of you and me…”

Maka giggled at his spelling joke.  “So I guess we’ve got a date?” the weapon continued on.  Maka pulled herself out just enough so that they were touching foreheads now.

“Are you asking me out, Mr. Evans?”  Soul rolled his eyes at her formality.  She giggled again. “Maybe I can finally learn the finer parts of music,” she whispered with a smile.

 

* * *

 

It had taken a few hours, but Maka had found the perfect outfit.  Nothing too fancy, but not her usual garb either. After trying on dress after skirt after pants, she had landed on a floral print crop top paired with high waisted jean shorts.  The dark wash of her shorts paired well with the lighter colors of her top and gold belt. Since they were going to a festival, with a lot of walking, she decided high tops were appropriate.  Maka managed to finish changing with a few minutes to spare, tying her hair back with side braids clipped in the back. 

The aftermath of the double gift went pretty smoothly.  Soul ended up offering Wes’s tickets to Liz since he knew she would appreciate them.  It tickled Maka’s soul knowing that he had kept the pair she had worked so hard for.

She felt her heart flutter like a butterfly, hesitating to open her bedroom door.   _ Come on Albarn!  Nothing’s changed, you’re just going on a date with your weapon part- _  Maka exhaled through her nose roughly.  Embarrassment was creeping up the back of her neck, but frustration moved her.

Soul was sitting on the couch with the television on, though he wasn’t watching it.  He was staring at the pair of tickets in his grasp, a small grin on his face. Maka was able to make it to the living room without him noticing.  He was in a shark t-shirt, brown pants, and a red hoodie.

“You ready?” she asked above him.

“If you’re done primping…” he smirked.

“Well, I could go back and change.  I was feeling indeci-” Her sentence was cut off by his hand over her mouth.

“Will you ever take a joke?” he chuckled.  In retaliation, Maka licked his hand, but that didn’t daunt him.  “Kid and Liz were going to meet up with us later, right?” He released his hand to let his meister speak.

“Supposedly.  Last I heard, Kid was quadruple checking the details of the festival.  It sounded like Liz was ready to shoot him…”

The couple ended up not seeing anyone they knew at the festival.  Much of the time was spent sitting on the park grass enjoying the sounds.  Soul explained some of the artists’ backgrounds and why they sounded the way they did.  Maka did her best to follow, but once he started going into harmonies, back beats, chords and melodies, it was all Greek to her.  But seeing him speak so passionately about a topic warmed her soul. 

Nightfall fast approached with slower songs resounding through the speakers.  Couples were dancing in place, enjoying one another’s presence in their arms.

“Do you remember the last time I asked you to dance?”

Soul squinted slightly.  “We danced last week fighting that-”

“No,” Maka cut him off.  “Physically, not in our souls.  Seems like a lifetime ago…” She watched on as a woman was spun around by her girlfriend.  The woman’s shall flared up with the motion, shimmering in the fading sunlight. The couple’s faces were laughing in delight.

Before she knew it, Soul was on his feet, offering his hand.  She could barely make out the pink on his cheeks. “Would you like to dance?”

She considered his hand before beaming.  “I thought you’d never ask…”

The steps came naturally after so many years of practice in the Black Blood room.  They waltzed effortlessly, as if gliding across a ballroom instead of a park lawn. Maka lost herself in Soul’s eyes, imagining all the times they had danced before, but none being as intimate as this.  She pursed her lips, debating over taking the plunge or not.

Their moment was shattered when the speaker stopped delivering pleasant melodies and started sending out nauseating frequencies.  Maka could hear the pitch getting higher and higher, and felt like her ears were going to start to bleed. Festival goers started hitting the floor, their hands clapped over their ears.  Some went limp after collapsing, cheshire grins plastered on their faces.

A figure took the stage, the only one not doubled over in pain for the most part.  Aux cords were dragging behind him, connected to his flesh. He wore large headphones over his ears, wild blue hair flowing down his back.  His eyes were black, and surveying the crowd in victory.

“Soul!” Maka yelled over the noise, holding out her hand.  Her weapon obliged, turning into the piano blade he was famous for now.  She focused on her Soul Perception, watching a red aura pulse from the man to the speaker to the crowd.  “We need to cancel out his wavelength! He’s using the speakers to broadcast it!”

“Maybe we can tone down the move we used against Arachne?!  We won’t get that much distance, but just to stop this crazy noise…!”  His face reflected across the blade, his fingers plugging his ears.

“Let’s give it a try!”  Maka started sprinting across the lawn towards the stage, weaving in and out of civilians trying to resist the wavelength.  She kept her index finger hovering over the key that would amplify her power: G. Once she was within ten feet, she slammed the key down.  The attack seemed to soften the wavelength’s affect, but the speakers were still deafening.

The man fixed his eyes on the meister.  “So! You’re a ‘spiring music maker too huh?  But this is my stage!” He plugged in one of the flesh cords into a miniature speaker strapped to his chest.  When he flicked the switch, a condensed wavelength shot out towards Maka.

The seasoned warrior blocked the attack, but she had to release the note.  Several more people collapsed, the sound of giggling underlying the pitch.  _ I need to cut those cords, but with that laser canon, it’s going to be hard to get close… _

Maka managed to turn the kishin egg around so that the damage was focused on the stage backdrop instead of civilians.  Everytime she jumped out of the way of one laser, he would shoot another where he thought she would land. He made contact a few times, Maka’s clothes getting singed and her skin sweltering slightly.  It didn’t take too long for her to notice a pattern, fake him out, and descend for the kill. Once the red orb was floating in front of the pair, Soul transformed back.

“Don’t we just have the best of luck?” he growled.  His hands were stuffed into his pockets as he kicked at the ground.  “That looks like it hurts.” He started inspecting her injuries, muttering something about a first aid kit.

Maka considered his comment while he fussed over her.  “I think these people were lucky. We were just doing our job.  I’m sure the next date will be… quieter.” Without a second thought, Maka leaned up and lightly kissed her weapon on the mouth.  It wasn’t much, but it made Soul’s eyes go wide and his cheeks pink. He quickly recovered, flashing a toothy smirk, before returning the gesture.   
  
  


 


	2. Extra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little tidbit of the aftermath.

“What the  _ hell _ happened?!  We were waiting in line when emergency vehicles came speeding in and  _ what happened to you?! _ ”  Liz and Kid had finally made it and had found the couple holding hands on the lawn.

“Well… it was definitely a first date to remember?”  Maka offered. Soul rolled his eyes while smiling.

Liz didn’t take the explanation well.  “That is SO not romantic! Dammit! You guys were supposed to enjoy yourselves, do a little slow dancing, but not fight a kishin egg!”

“I’d like to know why you haven’t gotten any treatment,” Kid mused.

“Oh, we,”  Soul coughed, interrupting Maka.  “Sorry,  _ I _ decided that the civilians should be tended to first.  These aren’t that deep anyway, definitely not the worst.”

Without warning, Liz dragged Maka across the lawn by the collar of her top.  “Hey! Wait! I  _ can _ walk still!”  But the demon pistol didn’t stop until there were at least fifty feet between them and the boys.

“Details.  I want ‘em.”  Her tone was serious, but her eyes were glittering in anticipation.

“Oh.  I learned more about music at the beginning-”

“Ugh.  Maka, really?  Studying on a date?”

“But he was really passionate about it!  I didn’t understand a lot of it, but he was really cute rambling on about harmonies and chords.”  Maka smiled, letting the same warmth encase her soul.

“Okay, okay, we’re getting somewhere.  Did you dance?”

“Yeah, he actually offered!  I brought up the last time I asked him to dance and he got all flustered but offered his hand.  We were interrupted by the kishin egg though.”

“Son of a-!  Well, guess that means you didn’t kiss?”  Liz was now pouting, disappointed in the evening’s events.

Maka looked away now.  “N-not exactly.” A blush was creeping up her neck, heating up her face.

“WHAT?!”


End file.
